Suggested listening: Tifa's Theme aka Tifa Theme

After that, Draco had shown Hermione no implication that he was interested in her.  In fact, it was like it never even happened.  Hermione walked out into the grounds for a Care of Magical Creatures class, which she also had with the Slytherins, and bumped into Draco.  "Watch it," he said, dodging around her.  She stared, watching his retreating back.  After he had left the corridor outside the hospital wing, he hadn't said more than a few words to her.  She looked at him in classes, but he never looked back at her.  She would watch him eating in the great hall, but he never shot her a glance.  He had even gone back to insulting her and her friends.  But, as she noticed, he hadn't called her 'Mudblood' since.

"Come on, Hermione," called Harry.  Hermione jumped back into the present and ran over to her friends.

"Sorry," she muttered as she stood by them, waiting for their teacher to come out.

In their Care of Magical Creatures class was not hands-on that time, as they were learning the history of the Snitch.  "The snitch is a small, gol'en bird that became extinct as the game Quidditch grew in popularity.  A few ha' been rumored to be left, but none ha' been spotted officially," Hagrid informed them.  A few somewhat interesting facts later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked over to the great hall for lunch.

"I'm starving," Ron groaned, his hand on his stomach.

"So am I," Harry agreed.

Ron asked, "What about you, Hermione," as he looked over at her, still with his pained look on his hungry face.

"Yea, me too."

"So, you two, are you going to work on the Potions project?" Ron asked.

"Oh, dammit, I forgot about that," Harry sighed.

"I did too.  But I think I'll work on it tonight, wadya say?"  Ron was still pushing conversation.

"Yeah, ok.  I can't tomorrow, I have Quidditch practice."

"What about you, Hermione?"

"Me too."

"What?" Hermione looked over at Ron, slightly confused.  "Want to do your make your potion tonight, for Snape?" Ron repeated, annoyed.

"Oh.  I've already done it."

Ron sighed irritably and Hermione stared nervously at the ground in front of her.  As they sat down, Hermione saw Draco across the hall.  She noticed Pansy sitting next to him, slithering her arm around his neck sneakily.  She turned to her porridge.  She didn't care.  She couldn't understand why her stomach suddenly ached.  She figured she was hungry too and started eating, her eyes feeling rather tired.

Ron was opening his mouth; he was talking.  She couldn't understand him as her brain was working mind-numbingly slow again.  She stared at her food stupidly.

"You're supposed to eat it," said Harry after he noticed she was just looking at it with a befuddled expression.

Hermione didn't hear him.  She looked up and saw Pansy playfully fool around with his ear.  Hermione's eyes burned as she returned her glance to her food.  Her stomach felt more twisted.  'I'm not hungry," she said, feeling like she would throw up.  She suddenly got up, earning stares from Ron and Harry, and strolled over to the doors and pushed them open.  As they closed she eased into a jog before breaking out into a run.  As she rushed to her common room, the insanity of it all brought her to tears and she was fully sobbing as she blubbered, "Unicorn horn," to the Fat Lady.  In the abandoned room, she collapsed on the sofa moments later, clutching its edges.

"Hermione" a boy said softly after a few moments.  Her head jerked up, she hadn't realized someone had walked in.  But it wasn't Malfoy like she thought, it was Ron.  He sat down on the edge of her bed and gave her a heavy-hearted look.  "Why won't you talk to me?" he finally asked her.

"Huh?"

"Has Malfoy done something?"

"No, why?!"  Her words were brash and not well chosen.  She corrected, "Nothing's happened.   Stop suggesting that."

"Fine," he said reluctantly. "Then what's wrong with you?"

"I've just been very emotional," Hermione said in a weak voice.  "You should know that women can be very emotional."  Ron was uncomfortable, she could tell.  "I've just been so, gloomy lately, I'll get over it.  Now please, I want to sleep."  She lowered her head on her pillow and listened as Ron gave an angry sigh as he got up and left, shutting the Fat Lady sharply.  Her eyes closed as the door snapped shut.  She hated lying to him.  She hated herself, and she cursed the last few days.  She had intended on making another plan in her mind, but her mind drifted to the way Draco had held her close in the library as she feel asleep with a faraway smile on her disarrayed face.  She hummed into her pillow and stretched her arms as her thoughts sleepily recalled when he looked at her by the lakeside.  She was too tired to recognize that she shouldn't be thinking about these things, and plus she was too exhausted to care.

Hermione woke to someone saying in a sharp voice, "Wake up, Miss Granger."

"Hmmm?" Hermione groaned.  She looked up and jumped at the sight of who was standing over her.  It was Professor McGonagall.  "Professor!" she gasped.  "I'm-I'm-"

"You're missing dinner," her teacher pointed out.  "You missed your afternoon classes, Hermione" she said with no pause, "Is there something you wish to speak to me about?"

"I-I…I'm sorry, Professor.  It won't happen again."

"Don't say that," McGonagall waved, very unlike herself.  "That will just add pressure.  Miss Granger, I'm quite worried."

"Oh, you don't need to be," Hermione said quickly, sitting up.  "I've just been a bit frayed."

"It's more that, I can tell.  Luckily, Dumbledore isn't listening to Mr. Malfoy."

"Malfoy?  Malfoy's talking to Dumbledore?"

"Lucius Malfoy is," Professor McGonagall said, her eyes lingering on Hermione's face, skeptically.  "Miss Granger, I don't play favorites.  But if I did, I think we both know who would be my first choice."  Hermione felt a huge surge of shame at disappointing McGonagall.  Her face burned red.  "If you continue to slip you could loose your badge.  Just forget about today's classes and do everything you need done.  Then you can start tomorrow fresh and renewed.  You're still in the number one spot, just barely."

"Yes, of course, Professor," Hermione piped in.  But what was her determination worth?  She seemed to be loosing control, the control she had had all her life.

"Well, I think I'll be getting back to dinner…I'll see you in class tomorrow, on time."